Cops who killed wanted man under investigation

THE Provincial Internal Affairs Service (PIAS) in Negros Occidental is conducting a moto propio investigation on the three policemen for killing a wanted person who ran amok at Barangay 6-A, Victorias City, Negros Occidental on January 10.

Senior Inspector Joy Ellaga, deputy chief of Victorias City Police Station, said Police Officer 1 Christian Palmes, Police Officer 2 Loue Jay Loraez,

and Police Officer 3 Ronilo Maru were among the station personnel who responded to a call for assistance in the said village at 1 a.m.

When the police arrived at the scene, they saw the suspect Samuel Palencia, armed with a bolo, and allegedly attacking those in the area.

The said policemen pacified Palencia, who was reportedly under the influence of intoxicating liquor, but the latter ignored them and ran.

He was chased by the police officers, prompting him to attack Palmes with a bolo.

Palmes attempted to shoot him using his issued M16 rifle but the suspect attacked him again.

Palmes was able to evade the attack by blocking the bolo with the rifle, but he fell to the ground.

The suspect was able to get the rifle and fired it but nobody was hit.

This prompted Palmes’ companions Loraez and Maru to fire at the suspect.

The suspect succumbed to four gunshot wounds.

Ellaga said Palencia suffered a nervous breakdown. He’s not been eating and sleeping for five days already.

Prior to the incident, the victim reportedly chased his partner with a bolo, Ellaga said.

He also had an arrest warrant for murder when he committed a crime in the city in 2011.

He’s a native of Cadiz City but he’s been hiding for almost eight years, Ellaga said.

Ellaga said they will wait for the results if the independent investigation of PIAS but she stressed that the action of the responding personnel can be justified since there were witnesses who can testify on the incident.

They did it because they also defended themselves and the people in the area, she added.

“We do not want the same incident that happened to Senior Police Officer 2 Antonio Broce Jr. who was killed while responding to a call for assistance last year,” she said.

Ellaga said the three policemen are still rendering their duties at the police station.

She also said that the family of the suspect is not willing to file a case against the three police officers.*